Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches Review

This compact switch is used in our organization in small offices and places with low net drop density. They are rock solid and trustworthy like their standard-size brothers but have a passive cooling system that makes it ideal for places where fan noise is unwanted like network cabinets in offices or rooms where employees reside.

Currently, we are using custom scripts and third-party software to automate tasks on our access switches, also on 3560-CX. Automation is a great way to streamline your daily work, and with ever-increasing demands and tasks, I would say it is the only way to get the job done. Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series creates a stable and consistent access layer for our company and with that unification of hardware automation giving us even better results.

Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches perfectly fit our company's needs. We can leverage their manageable features to further adapt them to the specific needs of the production environment or small offices. What's important to me is that the device I configure works the way I want it to. Even if I use unusual, creative solutions, the 3560-CX works perfectly here.

Currently we are allowing users to work from various locations like home and office, leveraging mostly cloud-based and VPN solutions. Putting security first, we have implemented robust measures to provide safe access to company resources, using zero-trust approach and event monitoring. This process has been insightful, but with proper training and support, we are optimistic about the positive outcomes it will bring.

There were a lot of challenges during our way to hybrid work. Since it was partially caused by pandemic one of the main challenges was providing secure remote access to massive number of users through Cisco AnyConnect. This involved acquiring and configuring the necessary licenses and ensuring compatibility across diverse devices. We also had to prepare our infrastructure to accommodate the influx of new remote users. Scaling the networks edge while maintaining optimal performance and reliability was crucial. Of course our main concerns was security aspect of hybrid work, so we had to address all issues to ensure that company data is secured.

As a big company we are using multiple Cisco products which are helpful when implementing hybrid work. As we focused on security Cisco Anyconnect and firewalls helped a lot to provide secure access to company resources from anywhere. Videoconferencing and collaboration tools like Webex meetings and teams have been extremely helpful and have provided seamless communication capability for our users.

In our experience with hybrid work model, we've observed increased flexibility and work-life balance, this usually leading to enhanced productivity and also reducing commuting time. However, maintaining team cohesion, addressing technical issues, and ensuring data security remain challenges. Since we are global company we had well adopted collaboration tools like Webex to communicate with remote, multinational teams. Users switch to new, hybrid work without any major problems.

We are using multiple Cisco products in company, so for us it was clear choice, integration between solutions used for hybrid work like AnyConnect, collaboration tools, and networking is seamless, offering a unified experience and simplify management. Security features are robust, ensuring data protection. Cisco also have great customer support and experienced team to help with any potential problem.